The Good Fight

¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Tim. 6:12)

This past week, I’ve been in a sometimes heated discussion with a cultist on Facebook.  He called my end of the discussion a part of the “Christian war culture on Facebook.”

As I went back over our discussion today, I think he was right in how he viewed my remarks.  I’m not always kind or gentle with my “opponents.”    The tragedy is my life verse speaks against this very thing, being combative with those who disagree:

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15)

Christians are told we should put on the full armor of God as a defense against the evil day (Eph. 6:13-20).  Sounds like we should be ready to be combative, doesn’t it? Interesting the only offensive weapon is in verse 17, “. . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  When we fight with anger or self-righteousness, we turn many away from the message.  And that’s what we’re here for, to spread the message of Christ.

Disagreements need not be combative.  The people we deal with are often lost but are still people for whom Christ died.  We should treat them as such. We are all equally valuable in God’s eyes and should be in our own eyes.

When Jesus fought against Satan himself during His temptation, He didn’t use divine powers but used Scripture to fight.  Scripture is a powerful weapon against the lies we face.  Sometimes we think “If I could just bring down fire and brimstone out of heaven as God did on Sodom and Gomorrah:  Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. (Gen. 19:24)  But, that’s not for us to do. 

As Christians, our position is plain.  We are to share the Truth in love.

How important and how powerful is Scripture?  I sometimes forget and rely on language and logic to win arguments, but again, God has not asked me to win arguments but to share the truth.  That truth, God’s Word, is so powerful that when Jesus began His ministry, He didn’t bring down thunder and lightning from heaven.  He didn’t wave His hand and thousands fell at His feet.  He read Scripture (Luke 4:16-21).

Why is this important?

If Christ relied on Scripture to stand against Satan himself and to show Himself to be the Messiah come to save men, who am I to step away from that example and use the logic and anger of man.

God has given us a mission here on earth, to share the gospel and to defend it when it is attacked.  When we step away from the pattern set by Jesus, we are hurting the cause.